The walk to Azrael's chambers felt longer than it actually was. She counted her breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.
The guards stopped before an ornate door carved with beautiful patterns of thorns and roses. One of them knocked once.
"Enter."
The guards opened the door, and Lyanna stepped inside. Then, they closed the door behind her.
To her surprise, his chambers were nothing like she'd expected. She'd imagined something dark and cold. Instead, it felt lively. The main chamber was large with a massive bed.
There was a massive bookshelf in one corner filled with old books, and a large fireplace like her own chambers was keeping the room warm. Maps were hung on another wall covered with notes and pins. Lots of swords and daggers were placed in the weapon rack.
Azrael was standing near the fireplace. His shirt was untucked, and sleeves rolled upto his elbows.
"Lyanna." He gestured to a small table set for two near the fire. "I hope Helena didn't break you on your first day."
"She was… thorough." Lyanna stayed near the door.
He smiled.
"Come. Sit. The food will get cold. I had the chefs prepare dishes I thought you might enjoy. You're too thin. Clara said you barely touched your meals today."
Lyanna walked towards the table and sat in the chair.
"You look terrified. Are you afraid I'm going to devour you right here at the dinner table?" He asked in an amused tone.
"Should I be?" She snapped.
"Not tonight. The wedding night is traditional for a reason. Sleeping with you before the wedding would go against the rituals." He chuckled. "Eat. We have things to discuss."
Servants appeared from a side door to uncover the dishes. The food smelled amazing. Her stomach growled despite her anxiety, which didn't go unnoticed by Azrael.
"Your body is working at least, even if your mind is busy panicking. Eat. I can't let my bride collapse from malnutrition before the wedding. People would talk."
She picked up her fork and knife, cutting the chicken. It was perfectly cooked. Once she started eating, she realized how hungry she actually was.
They ate in silence for several minutes. Azrael constantly watched her, which was somehow worse than any conversation with him.
"Helena gave you books."
"Yes, three. She wants me to read them by morning."
"Then I suggest you don't linger too long here tonight." He took a bite. "Helena is a perfectionist. She'll test you mercilessly tomorrow.
Anyway, we need to discuss about your behaviour post marriage."
Lyanna put down her fork, her appetite suddenly vanishing.
"You mean the rules you told me last night?"
"Those were the basics. Tonight, I'll give you the details.
Starting tomorrow, you'll eat your breakfast in your chambers, then spend mornings with Helena. In the afternoon, you'll train with Lord Adrian in basic self-defence."
"Self-defence?" That surprised her.
"You're surrounded by vampires who can kill you in seconds. Adrian will teach you to hold a blade, basic footwork, and so on." Azrael took a sip of his wine. "In the evenings, you'll dine with me. After dinner, you're free to do whatever you wish but in your chambers, and under guard protection."
"Am I not allowed to leave my chambers alone?"
"Not until the wedding. After that, you can move freely within the castle during daylight but you'll always have a guard after sunset."
Lyanna felt the invisible cage tightening around her even more.
"Every night, you need to be in my bed by midnight. Sometimes I'll want you, sometimes I won't. Sometimes I'll simply hold you while I sleep. Your job is to be available and willing."
"What if I'm not… willing?"
"Then I'll make you willing." His voice became intimate. "I have four centuries of experience in pleasure, Lyanna. I know exactly how to make a woman respond, especially when she doesn't want to. The conflict of you wanting me and hating me is what makes this entertaining."
The way he described it made her sick.
"You want me to hate you while you touch me?"
"I'm just telling you how your body will respond to my touch. And don't worry, I won't hurt you physically. I don't need violence to dominate you. Pleasure is a far more effective weapon of submission than pain."
Lyanna's hands clenched into fists in her lap. Azrael stood up, walked around the table until he was standing beside her.
"Stand up."
She obeyed.
"Let me be very clear about something." His fingers traced her jawline gently. "I will never force you. That would be an assault. I will seduce you. I'll use every skill I've accumulated over four centuries to make your body want me even when you hate me."
His fingers tilted her chin up, forcing her to look into his eyes. Lyanna jerked away, stumbling back.
"You're a sadist."
"Yes, I am." He agreed and returned to his seat, picking up his wine glass. "Finish your dinner."
"What if I refuse? What if I stop eating, stop learning, stop participating in this charade?"
"Then I'll force-feed you. I'll have Helena drill information into your head through repetition. I'll start executing servants until you decide compliance is less painful than watching innocent people die because of your stubbornness." He gestured to her chair. "Now sit down and finish your meal."
Lyanna sat and picked up her fork again. She ate but she hardly tasted the food.
He stood up again and walked to a chest near his bed. He opened it and pulled out a small velvet box, then returned to the table and put it in front of her.
"Open it."
Lyanna's hands trembled as she opened the box. Inside was a wedding ring. It was exquisite, made from platinum with a beautiful design of thorns and roses. A single black diamond sat at the centre, surrounded by smaller white diamonds.
"It's been in my family for six centuries. Every Queen of Thornfield has worn it. It's yours now."
"It's beautiful." She couldn't help but admit.
"I had it sized for you. Clara measured your finger while you slept the first night." He closed the box, taking it back. "You'll wear it after the wedding and never remove it. It's a symbol of your position, but also of your captivity. Every time you look at your hand, you'll remember that you're mine."
He put the box in the chest, then turned back to her.
"Now finish your dessert and go. You have reading to do. I'll see you tomorrow night for dinner again."
Lyanna ate a few bites of the dessert that tasted like poison in her mouth. When she stood up to leave, Azrael stopped her.
"One more thing. When you read the history of the courts, look for the chapter on the Purge. Pay special attention to what happened to Catherine Moreau."
Did he know? Did he know that I know about the woman he once loved? Or it's just a coincidence.
"Why?" She asked.
His smile was scary.
"Because I want you to know that I did love once. But the Holy Order burned her alive while I watched. It taught me that caring about someone makes you weak, it gives your enemies a weapon to use against you."
He walked towards her.
"But I don't love you, Lyanna. I hate you. And hatred won't make me weak. I will make you suffer for as long as we both live."